An amendment to the Twin Cities Met Council’s 2040 Transportation Policy Plan includes $2 billion in funding for a modern streetcar route that would be just 11 miles in length. The Met Council hosted a public hearing Wednesday for its Riverview Modern Streetcar project, which would stretch from Union Depot…
Read More
Minnesota’s newly elected constitutional officers were sworn in Monday, including now Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D-MN), and Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN). All five officials inaugurated are members of Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, a grim reminder to the Minnesota GOP that it failed to win a…
Read More
Now former Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN) officially left office Monday afternoon as moving trucks were spotted outside the Governor’s Mansion over the weekend. In his final exit interview with TPT Almanac, Dayton was asked by host Mary Lahammer for his opinion on the divisiveness in American politics today. “So much…
Read More
Minnesota State Rep.-elect Jay Xiong (D-St. Paul) hasn’t been sworn into office yet, but he’s already vowing to oppose the nation’s “vile president” and stand against “bigotry and racism, sexism and all other isms.” On Friday, Xiong released a statement discussing the actions of President Donald Trump as well as…
Read More
Secretary of State Steve Simon (D-MN) unveiled his “Investing in Democracy” 2019 agenda during a Thursday press conference where he announced plans to restore voting rights to felons after they are released from prison. Currently, Minnesota is one of 22 states that revokes voting rights for felons during incarceration and…
Read More
The only thing barring Democrats from total control of Minnesota’s government is a one-seat Republican majority in the Senate, but that might not be enough to block gun-control efforts during the upcoming session. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) recently indicated that he has “some openness” on the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL)…
Read More
Gov.-elect Tim Walz (D-MN) still has a few weeks to go before he’s sworn in as the next governor of Minnesota, but he’s already made several indications as to what voters can expect in his first budget proposal due early 2019. Since defeating Republican Jeff Johnson in the November midterms,…
Read More
“Sometimes people do things without my full knowledge.” That was Gov. Mark Dayton’s (D-MN) response Thursday to news that his Minnesota Management and Budget commissioner, Myron Frans, had recommended massive government pay raises. “It’s embarrassing to admit after eight years but it happens,” Dayton added. Current Minnesota law caps salaries…
Read More
Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN) and his staff released a list of his “top 25” major accomplishments as governor on Wednesday as he prepares for the end of his eight-year stint in the governor’s mansion. “When Gov. Mark Dayton took office, he promised to build a better Minnesota. Eight years later,…
Read More
A new report issued last week by the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor found that the Department of Human Services (DHS) provided Medical Assistance (MA), or Medicaid, benefits to ineligible residents. While the report concluded that the DHS “generally complied” with eligibility requirements, there were numerous instances in which…
Read More
The Twin Cities Metropolitan Council approved $1.23 million in funding last week to add barriers in buses that will protect drivers from potential threats. Earlier this year, local headlines were dominated by stories of bus drivers across the Twin Cities area being assaulted by deranged passengers. There were three attacks…
Read More
The St. Paul City Council voted 6-1 Wednesday in favor of adding the legalization of marijuana to its list of legislative priorities for the upcoming session. The resolution, authored by Council Member Dai Thao and co-sponsored by Council Members Rebecca Noecker and Mitra Nelson, argues that the decriminalization of recreational…
Read More
The St. Paul City Council approved Mayor Melvin Carter’s 2019 budget this week, which includes a 10.5 percent property tax increase and $500,000 towards additional bike lanes throughout the city. The council unanimously approved the budget on Wednesday. Carter called the budget a “different take on what the city government…
Read More
Former first lady Michelle Obama will stop at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center in March during the final leg of her “intimate conversation” book tour. Obama has been touring the country to promote her new memoir “Becoming,” and has titled her corresponding book tour: “An Intimate Conversation With Michelle Obama.”…
Read More
The Twin Cities Met Council plans to continue dumping money on additional bike lanes across the metro area, but a study published Friday by The Star Tribune found that city leaders are not being “forthright” about the proposal’s effectiveness. Writing for The Star Tribune, local marketing executive Doug Berdie decided…
Read More
Lt. Gov-elect Peggy Flanagan (D-MN) told the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Wednesday that the incoming administration plans to push for a MinnesotaCare buy-in option. The public health insurance option was widely criticized by Republicans on the campaign trail, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson, who criticized Gov.-elect Tim Walz (D-MN)…
Read More
The St. Paul City Council is expected to commission several new murals to temporarily replace the current artwork hanging in its chambers that some believe is “very white and very male.” The Star Tribune reported Wednesday that the City Council will likely hold a vote in the coming weeks to…
Read More
Gov.-elect Tim Walz (D-MN) has frequently boasted of historical victory in the Minnesota gubernatorial race, but the numbers were unprecedented on both sides of the ticket as the state saw record-setting voter turnout. “Peggy [Flanagan] and I are humbled by the support for One Minnesota. We received more votes than…
Read More
Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN) underwent back surgery at Mayo Clinic in October in what was the latest in a series of health scares, but his staff took a month to inform the public that he was still hospitalized. “Governor Dayton’s doctor is pleased with how Friday’s surgery went and believes…
Read More
The Saint Paul City Council unanimously approved a $15 minimum-wage ordinance Thursday, which was quickly signed into law by Mayor Melvin Carter. “Today’s vote is the culmination of years of incredible leadership from Council Members, workers, business leaders and advocates, all working together to provide a much-needed raise to over…
Read More
The Twin Cities Met Council announced Wednesday that it has received approval from the federal government to begin construction on its controversial $2 billion Light Rail extension. In a Wednesday press release, the Met Council announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has granted it a Letter of No Prejudice,…
Read More
Newly released emails show that St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter declined several offers to privately fund the city’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display, an event he cancelled this year due to financial concerns. According to The Star Tribune, which obtained emails and voice mails pertaining to the matter through…
Read More
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter plans to forgive $2.5 million in late fees owed to the city’s libraries, and hopes to nix the practice of charging late fees for overdue books altogether. Dating back to 2009, there are currently 51,000 library card-holders who have had their privileges revoked due to…
Read More
After months of research, the St. Paul City Council is now considering a proposal to introduce a city-wide $15 minimum wage requirement. According to the City Council’s website, local officials tasked an organization known as Citizens United with launching an independent Minimum Wage Study Committee, and its findings were presented…
Read More
The Democratic strongholds of St. Paul and Minneapolis are home to half of the state’s lowest performing schools, according to the Minnesota Report Card. The Pioneer Press recently reported that the Twin Cities contain 24 of the 47 lowest-performing schools in the state, which are set to receive support from…
Read More